How secure do Americans feel about their financial security?

However, they are also feeling less comfortable about their total amount of debt and the amount they have in savings compared to last year.

Over half (55%) of Americans predict housing prices to rise over the next 12 months, while only 27 percent expect prices to remain the same and 9 percent expect them to fall.

Americans in the upper-middle-income bracket were the most optimistic about the future housing market (with 65 percent expecting prices to rise).

Since the U.S. market bottomed out in October 2011 there has been a steady rise in home values.

A previous report by Bankrate revealed that nearly a quarter (23 percent) of Americans see real estate as the “best way to invest money not needed” for more than a decade.

Americans are optimistic about home prices rising:

American financial security is negative

Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com’s senior financial analyst, said:

“It seems like Americans’ love affair with real estate has returned. But there are still some clear headwinds, including rising mortgage rates, stubbornly high unemployment and the relatively low U.S. household savings rate.”

American financial security turned negative for the first time since February in September, dropping down to 99.5 from 100.5 in August.